Coroner, Солун 18 Дек. Eightball Club

Coroner. Coroner. CORONER!
To be honest, I could not think of a more appropriate beginning. For me Coroner is a very special band that may come into competition only with Anacrusis regarding the feelings awakened in me. When I learned several months ago that they are going to play so close to Bulgaria, in Thessaloniki, I said to myself that I will do everything I could in order to attend the concert. I managed to do so and with an overall of 35 people gathered from across Bulgaria, had the luck to be there – just within striking distance of them.
MadButcher: The beginning was a great trip, which started in Veliko Tarnovo at 8:45. It is winter and the distance is great, however, the concerns about the snowy roads and bad weather disappeared as soon as we left, started listening to music and took the first sips of the day. Around 11:30, in Sofia, the greater part of the group – the guys and girls from Metal Force – got in and the two busses, with overall of 36 people, went straight ahead to the target. Around 18:30 after a long journey (with a lot of pauses during which we got to know every gas station along the road) we finally reached Thessaloniki and after a short walk we arrived at the club, where we had reserved tickets (special thanks to Stoycho). The doors opened at 21:30, like it was announced, but afterwards we had to wait quite some time, accompanied by unpleasant, blurry music, while more and more people kept coming into the club.
Around 22:30 the long wait finally paid off when the lights went out, smoke appeared, the audience started shouting and of course Coroner got on stage. This is one of the bands I never believed would have a reunion and I would see live. Maybe because of this the feeling was mystically unique.
Coroner started tightly with very good sound, which I was told was perfect at the back of the club. However at the front left was a little bit drastic and after the second song the vocals became somewhat weaker.
I haven’t been to the back so I can’t really say anything about the sound there. When they got on stage the first thing I did was to go as far to the front as I could. The sound where I was standing was either perfect or I was so blinded by the enthusiasm that I felt during the concert that I didn’t notice any changes. Actually, to be honest, the only thing I didn’t like form the whole experience was the end of it.
MadButcher: Ron Royce is one of my favorite vocals and the pleasure to hear him live is simply incredible! Golden Cashmere Sleeper followed by Internal Conflicts, Serpent Moves (favorite). I started listening to this band after the release of Mental Vortex in 1991, so the fact that they played mostly from it and Grin wasn’t disappointing at all. What is more, I had seen the set lists from previous concerts, where the prevailing direction was strongly outlined.
Mental Vortex and Grin… I adore those two albums. Everything in them. From the first song to the last. Of course I had seen the set lists and I thought I was prepared for the show. Well, it turned out I was mistaken. I have been to a lot of concerts yet still I wasn’t ready for Coroner. They demonstrated that they are not a band you go to see because it’s your favorite. They are a band that makes you experience their songs over and over again without a second to rest. The power in Serpent Moves could make anyone feel like he’s really in the desert; however there is no time for rest – movement, change!
MadButcher: After Ron said that the next song had a video everyone knew that it was Masked Jackal. In my opinion it was a little bit early for it, but it was accompanied by a powerful movement in the crowd. However, in comparison to us the Greeks weren’t too active. The supporters from Bulgaria were the driving force during the concert, despite of the great number of kilometers traveled before the show.
I don’t have enough superlatives for Tommy T. Baron. Whatever I say about him wouldn’t be enough compared to what he showed us. He was one of my favorite guitarists and he still is! It is not a mere coincidence that he was part of one of the most avant-garde Kreator’s albums as he is an extremely avant-garde guitarist. Great solos and variations! The songs were accompanied by the corresponding effects from the albums which made them sound complete. Ron Royce talked to the public from time to time, but without overdoing it. He thanked the fans who attended both the concerts in Thessaloniki and Athens and he dedicated the next song to them – Metamorphosis. Afterwards they played The Lethargic Age, Semtex Revolution – favorite and powerfully played song.
The musical impression Gliding Above While Being Below, gave us some time to free our thoughts but it was only for a while – Coroner immediately played the thrilling Divine Step, which not that figuratively blew everything around. Another song from No More Color – this time the thrash classic No Need to Be Human and everyone lost his identity with its end… The lights went out again, more smoke appeared, incomprehensible shouts from the audience… yes, the last son before the encore was Grin (Nails Hurt). Nails penetrated our heads, made us unable to do anything at all, left us solely in the power of group.
MadButcher: Coroner thanked us quite unconvincingly and took their guitars, while the crowed screamed for more. This is where I must say that the Greeks are unable to call a band for an encore. Only some shouts from here and there and that’s all. Good thing the band knew they were supposed to reappear! Ron Royce joked that because of the plugs in his ears he couldn’t hear the shouts from the audience. Purple Haze in thrash version and Reborn Through Hate – total head removal. For a month now I had Reborn Through Hate in my head and I finally listened to it!
Fifteen songs, hour and a half. Just… not enough. I can’t say that I am not satisfied, however after they left the stage for good, I had the most vigorous feeling of hollowness. Coroner swept us away like a tornado and took off.